Ukrainians Want Republicans To Supply More Guns If They Take Control Of Congress

Ukrainian officials are warning Republicans that they could soon take control of Congress Defeating Russia means not only providing  weapons, but also more money for Ukraine's economy. Ukrainian leaders believe a congress partly led by the Republican Party will not spare military aid to Kyiv, despite dissenting remarks from some far-right extremists. 

In fact, Ukraine expects "even stronger" arms packages if Republicans are in charge, said Daniel Vajdich, a Ukrainian government lobbyist in 1. Ukrainians are more concerned about Republicans cutting future economic aid to their country. 

The United States has already provided Kyiv with billions of dollars in such aid, but additional funds will be crucial in the coming months and years, especially as Russia continues to damage  power plants and other critical infrastructure in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his staff know that "in a post-halftime world, there may be some different challenges than before," Vajdich said. "There is recognition in Kyiv that they need to work with Republicans to help them understand that helping Ukraine can't just be about guns.

That means money to fix Ukraine's budget deficit and  the energy sector and other sectors to fund public services such as schools This is the message lawmakers are  hearing directly from Ukrainian officials and through their representatives in Washington.

8 midterm elections. He hints that the Kiev government  expects aid talks with Washington to become more complex as the Washington-Kyiv partnership deepens, forcing US politicians to convince voters of the ongoing need to help Ukraine since Russia's support invasion in February. 

Through extensive bipartisan debates, the Ukrainian government, with the support of Congress,  has obtained major arms packages, including the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System. Under Zelenskyy's leadership, Ukrainians have often turned to U lawmakers to pressure the Biden administration over specific weapon systems, particularly long-range weapons. Missiles (although the White House has so far refused to supply those missiles and some of the other weapons Ukraine wants).

Ukraine's funding drew renewed attention after House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, likely the  next House Speaker, recently said there would be no "blank check" for Kyiv if he won the Republican Party. Number of populist Republican members of the House of Representatives who want to reduce or end support for Ukraine and instead focus on domestic issues. 

But since then, McCarthy has  tried to calm the passion he sparked. A senior administration official said the Biden team is not worried about support. that Ukraine will fall if Republicans take over one or both houses of Congress. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said that the GOP would authorize more weapons for Ukraine.

The administration also hopes that a majority of members of the Republican House of Representatives will force McCarthy to stay the course, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations. 

The Progressive Caucus on Ukraine shows that any perceived lack of support for Kyiv is political kryptonite. The letter was published and quickly withdrawn in recent days as some interpreted it as a major break with the Biden administration's approach. 

Lawmakers involved in the letter said it was written months ago, is outdated and should not have been published. The Republicans took the opportunity to say that they are the party that supports Ukraine the most.

Indeed, negotiating more arms and financial support for Ukraine in a Republican-led congress might be a bit more difficult, but not so difficult that it won't happen, the administration official argued. This view is shared by some Republicans. "After all, if Kevin becomes Speaker of the House of Representatives, he has to govern," said Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N). "And I'm pretty sure he'll do it right when he reigns.

"I understand your concern," added the Senate Armed Services Committee member about Ukrainian officials, "but I think  we can all calm down and not miscalculate." As a member of the Services Committee, he said: “Ukraine and the administration  need to explain and justify what is being asked for, but I think the vast majority of our conference will do whatever it takes to ensure that Ukraine prevails. Democrats remain skeptical.

Ukrainian officials should "definitely be more concerned" about House Republicans, said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is also with the HASC. McCarthy “has no control over his group and if he has a choice, save Ukraine or save himself, he will make his own choice. Vajdich said Ukraine's concerns about economic aid are long-term."

The country hopes the US will send economic aid to keep the government running, and the aid will come during the lame duck session as Ukraine heads for a brutal winter. But to keep its society running — whether that's keeping schools  open or rebuilding the electricity grid — Kyiv may need years of help.

Asked if his party would support long-term economic aid to Ukraine, Bacon said, "The short answer is yes, although the details are important." I think members  on both sides of the aisle will want to know that other NATO -Nations and countries with free schools  also share the burden,” Bacon said.

“The defense of Ukraine must be a team effort by our allies. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.) said Friday that he expects a "robust" military and economic package as part of a government funding bill by the end of the year. Dear Republicans who don't want a blank check, okay, I'd like to sit down with you to make sure the money gets where it's supposed to.

But I promise you [that] most Republican senators are fully committed to making it happen," he said during an event at Yale University  that Zelenskyy attended virtually. Anti-tank missile systems to help displaced Ukrainians. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, pledges to date include nearly $25 billion in financial and humanitarian aid and $27.5 billion in military aid.

But Zelenskyy has sometimes pressed for help that Biden refused to give. The Ukrainian leader has often responded by venting his frustrations, amid vocal support from congressmen from both parties. It's a tactic that has caused some friction. between the Ukrainians and the Biden government, according to former US officials. In theory, Ukrainians could fall back even more if Republicans control all or part of Congress and want to meet Biden, a Democrat.

But it doesn't always work. Ukraine, for example, continues to request the army's Tactical Missile System, a long-range missile system that Kyiv says can help it retake the annexed Crimean Peninsula. He has received  support from the Republican Party. for this request, including  the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which could mean more pressure on Biden to consider shipping ATACMS or other weapons to Ukraine if Republicans take control. 

Biden administration officials have so far been unwilling to deploy the system, largely out of fear that Ukraine could hit targets deep in Russia that would prompt Vladimir Putin to escalate the war. Ukraine can already "serve almost any target it wants with the weapons it has," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters Thursday. 

Early on in the conflict, Zelenskyy called on the United States to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, but Biden refused for logistical and other reasons. More recently, Zelenskyi has urged Biden to officially declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, a demand that has broad bipartisan support in Congress. 

But for various reasons, the Biden team rejected this request. Officials in the Biden administration aren't always enthusiastic about Zelensky's approach, said Daniel Fried, a former ambassador to U. Poland.

"Sometimes you feel like they're stuck and they don't like it," he said. Still, Fried and other former officials said, Biden and his associates finally understood that Zelenskyy is pursuing what he believes is  his country's best interest. 

Lobbyist Vajdich said Ukraine is satisfied with the level of arms support, although there could always be more. "They are very happy with the overall level of safety and defensive support," he said. of  Ukrainians.